Insect-catcher.



No. 732,595. 1 PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903. G. I. SILVERA'.

INSECT GA'I'GHER. APPLICATION FILED ov. 28. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

W/ TNE SSE S IN VENTOH By Cz. W W ATTORNEYS Ya: mum wcvgns CQvPHdTO-UTHWASNINOTON, D c.

65 Gfeuryelraav .J'lvera UNITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

GEORGE ISAAC SILVERA, OF CRESCENT, ORA CABESSA, JAMAICA.

-INSECT-CATCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,595, dated June30,1903. Application filed November 28, 1902. serial No. 133,007. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ISAAC SILVERA, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and a resident of Crescent, Ora Cabessa, Jamaica, have inventeda new and Improved Insect.

' Catcher,of which the following is a full,clear,

and ekact description. 7

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedinsect-catcher more especially designed for the removal and capture oflice, ticks, and otherpests from the skin of cattle, horses, and otheranimals, which is simple and durable in construction, easilymanipulated, and arranged to readily dislodge the insects from the skinof the animal and gather the insects in a receptacle for finaldestruction in large quantities by any desired means.

The invention consistsof novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointedout in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional elevation of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3,and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig.2.

A suitably-constructed support orcasing A, open at the bottom and rearend, is provided on its top with a rearwardly-extending handle B,adapted to be taken hold of by the operator for manipulating the device,as hereinafter more fully described. On the forward end of the casing Ais arranged a transversely-extending comb C, having its ends terminatingin upturned flanges C, screwed, riveted, or otherwise secured to thesides of the casing A. The comb C stands at angles to the casing A and adistance from the bottom and forward end thereof, and the said comb ispreferably provided with short teeth arranged along the lower edge ofthe comb-body and extended on the inside of the body a suitabledistance, thereby forming triangular grooves between adjacent teeth, aswill be readily understood by reference to Fig. 3. By this arrangementthe minute insects, such as lice, are readily combed out of the skin ofthe animal upon drawing the comb over the skin in a downward direction'-that is, in the direction in which the hair lies on the skinthe insectsreadily passing into the grooves'and up the back of the comb, toaccumulate thereon to the end of the stroke.

In the casing is arranged a drawer or like receptacle D, open at thefront end and having at its rear end a handle E for conveniently slidingthe receptacle in or out of position in the casing A. The bottom of thereceptacle D is in the form of a'scoop D,

pivoted at its rear end at D to the sides of the receptacle, a spring Fserving to press the scoop downward for the free end thereof to moveinto proper position relative to the comb C to receive the gatheredinsects at the end of the stroke, at the time the comb and scoop are outofcontact with the animals skin treated at the time. It is understoodthat the free end, of the scoop travels over the animals skin during thecombing process,

andas the scoop is pivoted and spring-pressed it readily accommodatesitself to any unevenness in the animals skin. The downward swingingmotion of the scoop D is limited by a stop G, secured on the casing A.

In order to sweep the gathered insects adhering to the back of the combinto the scoop D, I provide a brush H, fulcrumed on a transverse rod H,secured in the sides of the casing, and the rear end of the brush-bodyterminates in a handle H extending through an opening in the top of thecasing A, alongside the shank of the handle B, to be within convenientreach of the operator. The brush H normally stands in close proximity'to the back of the comb at the upper edge thereof, as plainly shown inthe drawings, and when the stroke for gathering in the insects iscompleted the operator swings the handle H upward, to cause the brushto'move downward over the back of the comb and thereby sweep thegathered insects over the comb-and down into the scoop D. It isunderstood that the device is during the last-mentioned operation heldwith the comb end upward.

When the several parts are in the position illustrated in the drawingsand the operator .has hold of the handle B,- he can then draw ICO thedevice readily over the animals skin with the teeth of the comb Ocombing the insects out of the hair, the free end of the scoop Dtraveling in advance of the comb over the skin. During this operationthe insects combed out of the hair accumulate on the back of the comb Oand are held from sliding over the same by the bristles of the brush H,and when the operator has reached the end of the stroke he removes thedevice from engagement with the skin of the animal and holds it with thecomb C upward, so that the scoop D opens fully by the action of itsspring F, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the insects heldloosely on the back of the comb readily drop into the scoop and theremaining insects are swept over the back of the comb into the scoop bythe operator imparting an outward swinging motion to the handle H of thebrush H. The comb G is thus cleansed of all insects by the action of thebrush H, and the insects are swept into the scoop, in which theyaccumulate. Previous to the next stroke the operator swings the brush Hback to its former position on the upper end of the back of the comb O,as indicated in the drawings.

The above operation is repeated until any desired quantity ofinsectshave accumulated in the scoop D, and then the operator draws thereceptacle D out of the support or casing A to allow of convenientlyemptying the scoop for the destruction of the gathered-up insects by anywell-known suitable means.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. An insect-catcher comprising a handled support, atransverse comb at the front end .of the support and standing at anangle thereto, a receiving-receptacle in the support, for receiving theinsects combed out of an animals skin by the said comb, and a movablebrush for sweeping the insects from the comb into the receptacle, as setforth.

2, An insect-catcher comprisinga handled support, a transverse comb atthe front end of the support and standing at an angle thereto, and aspring-pressed pivoted scoop opening with its free end onto the toothedend of the comb, as set forth.

3. An insect-catcher comprising a handled support, a transverse comb atthe front end of the support and standing at an angle thereto, and areceiving-receptacle slidable in the support and provided with aspring-pressed pivoted scoop, opening with its free end onto the toothedend of the comb, as set forth.

4. An insect-catcher comprising a handled support, a transverse comb atthe front end of the support and standing at an angle thereto, aspring-pressed pivoted scoop opening with its free end onto the toothedend of the comb, and a manually-controlled brush for sweeping theinsects from the back of the comb into the said scoop, as set forth.

5. An insect-catcher provided with a comb having short teeth extendingonto the back of the comb-body, to form grooves between adjacent teeth,as set forth.

6. An insect-catcher comprising a handled support, a transverse comb atthe front end of the support and standing at an angle thereto, areceptacle slidably held in the said support and provided with aspring-pressed pivoted scoop, opening with its free end onto the toothedend of the comb, and a brush pivoted on the said support and adapted toengage the back of the comb, to sweep the insects from the comb into thesaid scoop, the said brush having a handle under the control of theoperator, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE ISAAC SILVERA.

Witnesses:

ROBERT BARRow SILVERA, J OHN RICHARD ABSALOM.

